The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-09-24
likes men folks. She thinks a sight OF raty,

Tho woman here came out to tho cabin, |
with the adorcd Laty In her arms. Lib |
and went forward to meet them. The /!
woman's face was harsh and forbidding.
"whars she ben tellin' you misterl" she
asked. "a pack OF lies I'll be bound. The
truth aint In her; no, it aint Now you git
up to the cabin, miss, an mind Laty. I'm
goin' to tell yer pa on ye, an you'll see
what you'll git then"
"My pdpl" cried Lib. "Jack Lane ANT
my pap, an you h,op It,"
"Sass.box." was all tho answer the wo-
man vouchsafci to this outburst from Lib.
stayed three weeks in Jack Lanes
cabin, for IL was the only habitation within
two miles OF the place, and in those three
weeks ! saw enough to convince me that
poor Lib had not told "a pack Of lies" in
describing her sufferings. Her life with the
Lanes was q hard one. They were malic-
iousiy and wilfully cruel to her. More than
once did I ntercede to save her from the
cruelty of Jack and Mandy Lane.
Her devotion to baby Latham did not win
from his parents any corresponding kind
ness for Lib, his willing slave. often met
her carrying the heavy baby around in her
weak arms on the mountain trails
1--WE have real good times when we're Off
by our two Selves" Lib said to me one day.
''Wc talk to each other so! Pm goin' to
make a man of Laty some day; he amt goin'
TO be like the things there are round here.
He's gon' to have schoolin', an go out
'mong decent folks, an be somebody in the
world. Aint he purity when he's fixed upf'
He was "fixed up' that day. He had on
new pink calico dress, clumsily made, and
a long-sleeved white apron. His hands and
face were clean, his yellow hair lay in what
Lib called a 'tumble curl" on top of his
head / had never seen him looking so
pretty before. Lib had twined a wreath of
mountain flowers around his head, and
pinned bunch of them in front of his coarse
white apron.
When the time came for mo to go away,
Lib followed me far down the dusty road
unmindful of Mandy's shrilly uttered COM
mands to ''come right straight back!"
"You had better not go too far, lib" l
said when we had walked about half mile; !;
'.'Mandy will be so severe with you"
SO, well, what if she isH' asked Lib,
| wearly; but her voice had none of its old
defiant ring, and her bright eyes were red
and downcast.
81 should be sorry to have you suffer on
| my account" said.
so, don't mind it, but / reckon I'll go
back now; Laty might need me. jest
| thought I'd like to go piece with you. 1
been thinlsin' bout that little girl O. yourn
to-day, an thought I'd kind o. like to send
her somethn'. I've got it in this little box
| 1t amt much of anything, but mebbe she'll
| like 1t, comm SO fer like" --.
Lib held out a small, fiat pasteboard box.
! In it was bunch of pressed mountain
| flowers, tied together with bit Of faded
green ribbon-Lib's one treasured bit of
| feminine tincry.
"Well, goodbye, mister!" she said
| 'You've took more notice Of me than most
| folks takes, an won't fergit ye; an I'll
! try to remember some o. the things you've
| said bout me bein' patient an good, an all
that. They'll do to tell Laty some day. l
reckon I'm bout as good as I'll ever be-
This aint much of place fer folks to grow
decent in. If any thing should ever happen
to Laty, I'd run away from here"
| My heart ached for the forlorn little
| creature, as l watched her climbing the
mountains in her rags, while held in my
hand the one poor possession she valued
most.
My business took me to a small mining
camp, five miles distant where / was to
| remain for month. 1t was the first of
December before could set day for my
departure. l intended starting ON the
signs of storm were seen in the low-hang-
| ing clouds that hid the snow-covered noun
tain peaks. The snow lay smooth and
white on all the mountain sides, and 1t was
| feared that another fall would make the
| mountain roads impossible.
watched with dsmay that gathering
| storm on the afternoon of the third. BY
| three O'Clock it was showing fast; the short
day was nearly done: it was growing dark
in the narrow gulch; the wind moaned up
and down the long, black canons; the
stunted pines bent low; the mountains
seemed frowning down ON the helpless lit
tie mining camp, and the snow fell faster
and faster.
| sat by the window of the office in the
little mountain hotel and watched the day.
light disappear. By four o'clock it was
gone and the storm had increased.
"It's darkern stack o. black cats, an
the winds blowin' a regular cyclone" SAID
| the landlord, at nine o'clock.
At ten o'clock he and sat alone by the
Office stove. The wind had gone down 6
little and it had stopped showing. was
waiting to hear the conclusion Of "yarn''
the garrulous landlord was telling me.
San SIR" he was saying, ''if you'll
b'leeve me, that thar ole cattymount jis
natchelly riz up an'-great Scotland! did ye
hear thatF.
He jumped to his feet and stood still, in
listening attitude.
"What is itl' asked, eagerly; II dit
not"--
'Sh-sh- sh 7" he held his red and callouset
hand up as sign OF silence, and tip-toet
gently toward the door. Sharp and clea
arose a prolonged cry rs OF one in pain.
Somebody's in troubled" cried the land
lord, as he hurriedly thrusta lighted candl
into his lantern, threw on his great coat Of
buffaloskins and started for the door.
followed him, pulling on my overcoa
and mittens as went. We had taken bu
few steps from the door when the or,
was repeated. could not tell from whenc
1T came, but my companion's sense OF hear
ing was more acute and better trained thai
mine.
sits from the Red Mountain TRAIL" h
said, san the person that's doin' the yell
in is gittin' mighty weak"
Very weak, indeed, was the person who's
pitiful cry we had heard. We found he
! half-buried in great drift OF snow far u
, the mountain side. AS we bent over he
! the rays OF the lantern fell across the thin
, pale face of Elizabeth Dill-thinner tina
ever, and paler from the suffering she ha
, endured that night.
= She had fallen prostrate and was tc
much exhausted to rise. A ragged oil
, cloak was wrapped around her and thi
shawl had fallen from her tangled yello,
, hair. A lantern lay by her side, but it
light was out.
She could not speak until we had carrie